Thomas bell



THOMAS BELL, or snL'LPonT, New tous.

' Letters Patent No. 76,387, dated April 7, 1868.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Beit known that I, THOMAS BELL, of Bellport, in the county of ,Suiollg andStateof New York, have invented a new and improved Fish-Catching Attachment for Vessels;s and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specication.

This invention lrelates to a new and improved fish-.catching attachment to be applied tofvessels, either` Steamers or those provided with sails.

The invention is designed for catching those kinds'of fish which swininea'r the surface of the water, such, for instance, as the mackerel and herring species, and which are caught inlarge quantities for salting or'curing for food, the extraction of oil, and vfor manure. p The invention consists in attaching to vthei'ront or bow ofthe vessel, by a hinge ci' joint, a scoop-shaped screen, which may be made by covering a frame with wire cloth, and so arranged that its front part may be let down a sufficient distance below the surface of' the water, and its bottom form an incline plu-ne from the deck or upper part of the bow'of the vessel down to the front end of the device, which, as thc vessel sails along, will gather or enclose the fish, the device, at suitable intervals, being raised, so asv to discharge the fish upon" the deck of tbevesself l l The accompanying drawing represents a perspective view of my invention applied to a vessel.

A represents a vessel, which may be propelled by steam or wind, and B represents myinv-ention, consisting of a frame, so constructed as to have a dat bottom, a, and two sides, b @which diverge from each from the reir to the front end ofthe device, so thatthe latter will be considerably wider at its front than at its rear cnd,both the front and rear ends being open. 'This frame is covered with wire netting or coarse wire cloth, ,the mesh of which shouldbe sufficiently small to retain the smallest iish designed to be caught. Twine netting might lio used, but the Wire would be more durable, and probably the most economical in a quite limited period of time. The frame may be constructed of wood or metal; if-ot' the latter, coarse wire or light rods may be cmployedfor the purpose. The rear end of this device is attached by a joint or hinges, al, to thc front end or bow of thc boat, and tothe front end ofthe upper part of lcach side there is attached a cord or rope, e. These cordser ropes extend upward, and pass through sheavcs,j`, attached to'the upper part of the mast, C, of the vessel, and extend down, and are attached to a wi'ndlassor any proper xture, D, on thev deck of the same.

The device when in Vuse has its front part extending obliquely below the surface of the water, as shown clearly in the drawing, its bottom, a, forming an inclined plane, and the cords or ropes e c retaining the device in proper position as the vessel sails along.

At suitable intervals, the front part of the device is raised out of the water, by pulling down ou the ropes or cords e c, and any sh which may be within the device,vor enclosed between its two sides b b, will of coursebc raised with it, and when the bottom, a, reaches a certain angle of elevation-,say forty-five degrees, the'sh will be discharged upon deck. On releasing the cords or ropes e e, the device will descendY to its original position by its own gravity. i K. y

I do not confine myself to any particular shape or manner of constructing the device, nor to any particular` means for elevating the same, forthe plans herein described may be varied or modified, and the same' end attained.

Having described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters `Patent-- A device for catching fish, constructed and applied to a vesselv substantiallyA in the manner aslierein set forth.

The above specification of my invention signed by me, this 11th day of January, 1868.

' [FI-IOS. BELL.

Witnesses:

WM. F. McNAMAnA, ALEX. FjRo'Bnnrs. 

